Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History Daily: The story behind the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”

If you’ve always thought that the Foo Fighters song “Everlong” was about Kurt Cobain and his various addictions, that’s not a bad interpretation. But it’s now what Dave Grohl had in mind when he wrote it.

It was Christmas 1996 and he was miserable. He’d just got divorced and was homeless, sleeping on a friend’s floor in a sleeping bag. Even his bank account had been frozen. Meanwhile, the Foos were going through a rough patch. Drummer William Goldsmith was about to quit and Pat Smear was thinking about bailing, too.

That was Dave’s headspace when he wrote what’s basically a sort of love song. It took all of 43 minutes.

If you missed the Monday post, it was all about Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37974 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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